The most important lesson
by Tourmaline20
Summary: During fifth year Hermione is going crazy studying when an unexpected event changes her views on life forever. Slight AU.


Disclaimer; I do not own anything and am not doing this for money. I got the story of the Doll and the rose in an e-mail and felt the need to share it with as many people as possible.

**Hermione's truth**

A/n o.k. this story takes place in Harry's fifth year before the O.W.L.'s are taken. One-shot no sequel.

Hermione Granger was obsessed with passing her examines she had been doing nothing, but studying since the year had started. Even her two best friends Harry and Ron had noticed it. After all these years they were used to Hermione going crazy over homework, but this was a new level of insanity. Both boys were worried about her health, Hermione wasn't sleeping through the night and she often skipped meals or ate in the library in order to get extra studying done. Finally right before they were all going to go home for winter break they decided to confront her.

Harry and Ron found Hermione in the library (no surprise) Harry cleared his throat and Hermione jumped, "What the, oh it's you guys. Don't DO THAT YOU SCARED ME!" Harry sighed, "Hermione we need to talk to you." Hermione rolled her eyes, why didn't they understand that she had a lot of work to do and a limited amount of time in which to do it. Knowing that asking them to leave would be pointless Hermione just sighed and said, "Fine, what is it?"

Harry turned to Ron who shrugged and gestured towards him as if saying 'well it was your idea mate' Harry rolled his eyes, "Hermione, we think you've been working too hard, Ron and I both know how important the O.W.L.'s are, but you can't let them consume your life you need to relax take a break every once in a while. You haven't had a peaceful meal or a decent nights sleep since school started we're afraid that if you keep up this insane pace you've set yourself you're going to burn out and fast." As Harry stopped talking Ron piped up, "Yeah, Mione we're worried, we don't want you to get sick or something, no one could keep up with the schedule you've got going you need to slow down."

Hermione fumed, she walked straight out of the library her fists clenched Harry and Ron following her Ron continuing talking, "Look Hermione we wouldn't be saying this if we didn't care about you." Finally when they reached the hall several doors down from the library Hermione exploded, "SLOW DOWN! SLOW DOWN! HAVE YOU TWO FINALLY LOST YOUR MINDS? DON'T YOU GET IT THESE ARE O.W.L'S THEY'RE NOT SOME FINAL EXAM OR MID-TERM IT'S NOT LIKE IF I DO BAD ON THEM I CAN JUST WORK HARDER AND IMPROVE NEXT YEAR! WITHOUT THE PROPER GRADE ON THESE TESTS I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THE KIND OF JOB OR ACIEVEMENTS I WANT! I know studying isn't as important to you two as it is to me, but I would hope that as my friends you could at least respect my choice and support me as I work towards one of the most important deciding factors in our school experience."

Harry and Ron both groaned Harry spoke up first, "Hermione we're not saying that you should stop studying all together just that you take it easy a little that's all." Hermione sniffed, "Harry I have to do well on these tests I just have to and if you two can't accept that than just leave me alone." Before Harry or Ron could speak Hermione ran off.

Hermione kept running not sure where she was going or what she would do when she got there. Finally she found her way to an abandoned classroom and fell to the ground in tears. Hermione sobbed, "Why don't they understand? These tests mean everything, they're going to decide our future and Harry and Ron are acting like there just some reading quiz professor Flitwick gave us. Well if they don't think that this is important and if they're going t give me a hard time about studying than I will just ignore them. They think I'm over doing it then that's their problem not mine."

Hermione dried her tears and headed back to the library determined not to let the boys ruin the study time she had left in the day. Hermione kept her promise, for the next week she barely spoke to Ron or Harry and whenever they questioned her about her study habits she walked away. Neither boy would give up on Hermione, but finally winter break came and Hermione was going home. Home! Away form the two annoying boys who would have to realize that if they didn't start studying properly they would never get anywhere in life.

Once Hermione was off the train and back home with her parents she barricaded herself in her room determined to study. Hermione was still going to Grimmauld place to spend Christmas Eve with the Weasley's Harry, and Sirius, but until she intended to work Hermione's parents were a little concerned about her behavior, but they could tell that nothing they would say could snap Hermione out of the frenzy she was driving herself into.

It was two days before Christmas and Hermione had decided to try a new approach to studying she was writing her notes on the computer (which made it so much easier to keep track of everything) and searching the net to help her with her studying habbits. Hermione was planning to print out all her notes and bring them back to school when the time came. Hermione was currently suffering the internet looking for some organizational software online when she stumbled across something that had been posted on a website:

**From:** David M Brandt  
**Sent:** Thursday, July 27, 2006 9:25 PM  
**To:** Dave Brandt  
**Subject:** The doll and the rose

I was walking around in a store. I saw a  
cashier hand this little boy his money back saying  
"I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy  
this doll."

Then the little boy turned to the old woman  
next to him: ''Granny, are you sure I don't have  
enough money?''

The old lady replied: ''You know that you  
don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.''

Then she asked him to stay there for 5  
minutes while she went to look around. She left  
quickly.

The little boy was still holding the doll in  
his hand.

Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him  
who he wished to give this doll to.

"It's the doll that my sister loved most and  
wanted so much for this Christmas. She was so sure that Santa  
Claus would bring it to her."

I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus will  
bring it to her after all, and not to worry.

But he replied to me sadly. "No, Santa Claus  
can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to  
give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to  
my sister when she goes there."

His eyes were so sad while saying this. "My  
sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that  
Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I  
thought that she could take the doll with her to  
give it to my sister.''

My heart nearly stopped.

The little boy looked up at me and said: "I  
told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her  
to wait until I come back from the m all."

Then he showed me a very nice photo of him  
where he was laughing. He then told me "I want mommy  
to take my picture with her so she won't forget me."

"I love my mommy and I wish she doesn't have  
to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be  
with my little sister."

Then he looked again at the doll with sad  
eyes, very quietly.

I quickly reached for my wallet and said to  
the boy. "What if we checked again, just in case you  
do have enough money?''

"OK" he said "I hope that I have enough." I  
added some of my money to his without him seeing and  
we started to count it. There was enough for the  
doll and even some spare money.

The little boy said: "Thank you God for  
giving me enough money!"

Then he looked at me and added "I asked  
yesterday before I slept for God to make sure I have  
enough money to buy this doll so that mommy can give  
it to my sister. He heard me!''

"I also wanted to have enough money to buy a  
white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask  
God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the  
doll and a white rose.''

"My mommy loves white roses."

A few minutes later, the old lady came again  
and I left with my basket.

I finished my shopping in a totally  
different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy  
out of my mind.

Then I remembered a local newspaper article  
2 days ago, which mentioned of a drunk man in a truck, who hit  
a car, where there was one young lady and a little  
girl.

The little girl died right away, and the  
mother was left in a critical state. The family had  
to decide whether to pull the plug on the  
life-assisting machine, because the young lady would  
not be able to recover from the coma.

Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the  
little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young  
lady had passed away.

I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch  
of white roses and I went to the funeral home where  
the body of the young woman was exposed for people  
to see and make last wishes before burial.

She was there, in her coffin, holding a  
beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of  
the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.

I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that  
my life had been changed forever. The love that this  
little boy had for his mother and his sister is  
still, to this day, hard to imagine. And in a  
fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all  
this away from him.

Now you have 2 choices:

1) Repost this message.

2) Ignore it as if it never touched your  
heart

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:

"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of  
control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms  
tearing up the country from one end to another, and  
with the threat of bird flu and terrorist  
attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God  
out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

For those that prefer to think that God is  
not watching over us...go ahead and delete this.  
For the rest of us...pass this on.

By the time Hermione had finished reading she had tears streaming down her face. Hermione had heard sad stories about families dying in tragic accidents before, but it none had ever touched her like this one had. As Hermione calmed herself down she realized something, Harry and Ron had been right. She was pushing herself way too hard. Yes the O.W.L.'s were important, but life was too short and there were too many things she could be changing and experiencing out in the world to spend all her time fretting about tests that she wouldn't be taking for several more months.

Hermione made herself a promise that no matter what she wouldn't get this crazy over tests again. She would always remember that school would never be more important than spending time with her friends and family. And that there were people in this world who had real tragedies to deal with; which were so much more stressful and difficult to get through than a stupid test. Before Hermione logged off the computer she sent a copy of the story she'd read to all her muggle friends on her e-mail list. No matter what happened Hermione would always keep a copy of this story and remember.

Hrhphrhphrhphrhphr

Two days later Hermione arrived at Grimmauld place by portkey, as soon as she had placed her suitcase in her room Hermione went to find Harry and Ron. They were in the kitchen with Sirius all three of them were covered with flour and laughing hysterically. When Hermione caught sight of them she started laughing to, the others turned when they heard her, "Mione!" Ron shouted, "Good to see you, we weren't sure you'd come after, well you know." Hermione swallowed and nodded all humor dying, "um Harry could I talk to you and Ron privately." The two boys looked at each other and shrugged Sirius waved a hand and said, "Go ahead I'll clean this up." Hermione cast a cleaning charm on the two boys and they followed her into the sitting room.

As they sat down Hermione cleared her throat, "Ah listen guys, I wanted to apologize for what I said before. You were right I was studying too hard and I know you guys care about me and I shouldn't have shouted at you. I realize now that I need to relax a little more and not get so caught up in every single detail of every test we take. I just have to study hard and do my best. Can you forgive me?" Harry and Ron pulled Hermione into a hug, "Of course we forgive you Hermione." Harry said, "Yeah" Ron muttered into her hair, "After all you wouldn't be you if you didn't study and if it weren't for your brains neither of us would have survived half our classes, heck we'd probably be dead by now if it weren't for you." The three of them gave a small laugh and went upstairs to play a game of gobstones. Hermione kept her promise, she carried a copy of the story in her bag wherever she went and whenever she felt like she was going overboard with her work she would take it out and read it and remind herself of the really important things in life. Because of the this, she toned down her studying and made sure to spend more time with her friends. It was because of this revelation that a year later Hermione was able to leave Hogwarts and agreed to travel with Harry and Ron to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes.

Hermione knew this would be the most important and most dangerous mission the three of the ever went on together, and that there was a good chance that one or all of them might not come back from it. She also knew that her friends would need her and she was going to come with them and help in any and every way she could. Even though it had taken a while for her to realize it Hermione knew that her friends would always come before school and come Hell or high water her place was by their side. And so the trio began what was undoubtedly going to be the hardest thing they had ever done, but as long as they had each other they all knew things would work out all right. And no matter where they would go or what they would do Hermione would bring the story with her and always remember to stand by her friends until the very end.

The end.

o.k that's it please review and remember 'pass it on'


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